Gold-washing machine.



No. 6,68,37|. Patented Feb. I9, |90I.

L. FRANKLIN & JT TUNNAR. GOLD wAsljmG MACHINE.

` (Application led Apr. 17, 1895. (No Model.)

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Urine @trarne armar LOUIS FRANKLIN AND JOHN TONNAR, OF ANACONDA, MONTANA.

GOLD=WASHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,371, dated February 19, 1901.

Application filed April 17, 1895. Serial No. 546,153. .No model.)

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Be it known that we, LOUIS FRANKLIN and JOHN TONNAR, citizens of the United States, residing at Anaconda, in the county of Deer Lodge and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Gold-Washing Machine, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to machines for washing gold; and the object thereof is to provide an improved machine of this class by means of which the fine or Flour gold may be separated from the dirt and saved.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accom panying drawings form a part, in Which- Figure l is a central longitudinal section which constitutes the subject-matter of this application. Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3, an end elevation; Fig. 4c, a perspective view of the preliminary separating-screen, and Fig. 5 a perspective view of a crank and set-screw employed.

Inthe drawings forming part of this specification the separate parts of the improvement are designated by the same letters of reference in each of the views, and in the practice of the invention a machine for the purpose herein specified is provided which comprises a base-frame composed of horizontal bars A, which are connected by crossplates a, the upper surfaces of which are conveX in form, as shown at a2 in Fig. 3, and the object of these plates is to form a base for the rockers of the upper frame, which forms a part of the machine and which consists of parallel side bars B, connected by three transverse rockers la, each of which is provided centrally of the bottom thereof with a pin b2, which projects into a circular cavity or recess ?93, formed in the central upper portion of the transverse base-plates o, and the object of these pins b2 is to hold the upper frame, of which the rockers b form a part, in position, while permitting it to rock back and forth in the manner of a cradle. The upper frame is provided at one end with an upwardly-directed extension C, which is provided with a chute D, whereon the dirt and gravel containing the ne or flour gold is thrown and Where it is subjected to a iiow of water which is constantly mingled therewith, and immediately beneath the chute D is the preliminary separating-screen d, which is of the form shown in Fig. a and onto or into which the water and ne dirt or gravel containing the gold flows from the chute D, and said preliminary screen is provided with a discharge-spout cl2, through which the water and gravel passes and is discharged, the fine sand or dirt and the flour-gold, together with a portion of the water, being sifted through said screen onto acopper plate E, from which they continuously flow onto a second copper plate F.

It will be observed that the preliminary screen d is inclined downwardly and forwardly, as is also the plate E, while the plate F is inclined downwardly and backwardly, and these copper plates E and F are washed with quiclrsilver, so that the principal part ot' the fine gold as it passes thereover will adhere thereto and be separated from the sand and dirt.

Immediately back of the lower copper plate F is a transverse box or rifde Gr, providedY with a vertically-movable partition-plate g, which is arranged longitudinally thereof and which is designed to retard the flow of the tailings onto the adjacent blanket-table H, which extends from the rifde-box Gr downwardly and backwardly, as shown in Fig.. l. The rifle-box G in practice is also provided with quicksilverin the bottom thereof, which collects a percent-age of the gold in the usual manner, and said riffle-boX is also provided with a faucet g2 for the purpose of leading the product from the combined quicksil'ver and gold passing therefrom when the quicksilver becomes laden with the gold in the operation of the machine or when a clean up is desired.

The blanket-table H forms a dischargechute, over which the Water, fine dirt, and gold flows after leaving the rifle-box', and isV provided with a covering of heavy sackcloth or similar material h, which is held in place by pins h2, any desired number of which may be employed, and the finest portion of the gold, or that part which succeeds in passing the rifde-box G, is caught in the meshes of said cloth, the Water and fine dirt or sand alone passing backwardly over the blanket-table IOO and being discharged at the rear thereof, as

will be readily understood.

Mounted rearwardly of the machine and beneath the rearl end of the blanket-table is a water-wheel K, of any preferred construction, provided with buckets lo, and the shaft k2 thereof is provided at each end with a crank k3, and each of these cranks is connected with a crank-rod 7a4, and these crankrods, one of which on each side of the machine are each connected with a toggle-lever device kf", two of which are employed and which are pivotally connected with the base-frame at each side thereof, as shown at k6, and also with the upper frame, as shown at k7.

In the operation of the machine the water iiows from the blanket-table onto the wheel K, which is constantly revolved thereby, and this revolution of the wheel K operates the crank-rods 7a4, which in turn alternately operate the toggle-lever devices k, and thus rock the upper frame, which is kept con-l stantly in a rocking motion thereby. The cranks k3 on the shaft k2 of the water-wheel K project in opposite directions, and thus cause the necessary alternate forward and backward movement of the crank-rods 7a4. It will thus be seen that the copper plates E and F, the rifle-box G, and the sackcloth on the blankettable all serve in succession to extract the gold from the dirt. and sand, and only the thinnest portion of the gold reaches the blanket-table, and this is separated from the sand, dirt, and water as the latter passes over said blankettable and is retained in the machine by the sackcloth which is placed thereon.

The ysackcloth may be removed from the blanket-table and the gold shaken or washed therefrom whenever desired.

The pins b2 constitute pivots which hold the upper frame in position while permitting it to rock freely, and the entire machine is simple in construction and operation and perfectly adapted to accomplish the result for which it is intended.

Havingfully described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A machine for washing gold, comprising a stationary base-frame,a rocking frame mounted thereon,said rocking frame being provided with a downwardly and backwardly directed chute forming part of an apparatus mounted on said frame for washing and separating gold from ore and dirt, and a water-wheel connected with the rear end of the base-frame and adapted to receive the discharge from said chute, the shaft of which is provided at each end with a crank, a cran k-rod connected with each of said cranks at the opposite sides of the machine, and toggle-levers connected with the base-frame and with the rocking frame, and with which said crank-rods are connected, whereby the movement of said wheel is utilized for operating the rocking frame, substantially as shown and described.

LOUIS FRANKLIN. JOHN TONNAR.

Witnesses:

I. RosENFIELD, N. RosENFIELD. 

